Five Fun Facts About Bunny Rabbits in Wyoming

Just in time for Easter, here are five fascinating facts about bunny rabbits here in the Cowboy State.

1. Six different species of rabbits are native to Wyoming: the Black-Tailed Jackrabbit, the Desert Cottontail, the Eastern Cottontail, the Mountain Cottontail, the Snowshoe Hare and the White-Tailed Jackrabbit.

2. In 1921, the State of Wyoming established a law prohibiting people from photographing rabbits and other wild game between the months of January and April. Fortunately, that statute was revised in 1969 and it's now legal to take pictures with the Easter Bunny.

3. It's also legal to hunt rabbits in Wyoming and requires only a small game license. During the Great Depression, several communities established organized rabbit hunts to help feed the hungry. One event near Casper reportedly produced over 1,000 rabbits, which were distributed to needy families.

4. Rabbit Fever can kill you. The Wyoming Department of Health discourages people from handling dead rabbits and other rodents due to the risk of contracting the bacterial disease tularemia.

5. As far as we know, there has only been one Playboy Bunny from Wyoming. Cheyenne's Melba Ogle was the featured centerfold in the July 1964 issue of Playboy Magazine.